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Now available on amazon.com: The Updated Edition of Kim Field’s Best-Selling Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People’s Instrument 
Announcing the publication of a new, updated,
and expanded edition of the first—and only—in-depth look
at the history of the world’s most popular instrument
“A must for all ‘harp’ fans.'”—Charlie McCoy
“The Encyclopaedia Britannica of the harmonica.”—Larry Adler
“This remarkable book is the best tool for the harmonica player outside of the instrument itself.”—Magic Dick
Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers charts in loving detail the influence of the harmonica
on all forms of American music: blues, country, jazz, rock and roll, pop, soul, and even classical.
Field traces the development of the harmonica from the ancient Chinese sheng to the
universally popular Hohner Marine Band to futuristic harmonica synthesizers.
Included are profiles of—and, in many cases, personal interviewers with—
nearly 70 harmonica masters, including:
Little Walter Jacobs
Jerry Murad and the Harmonicats Kim Wilson
Stevie Wonder DeFord Bailey Borrah Minevitch and the Harmonica Rascals James Cotton Junior Wells Bob Dylan Jerry Murad Paul Butterfield Larry Adler Charlie Musselwhite Charles Leighton
Jimmy Reed Lee Oskar Jean "Toots" Thielemans Jerry Portnoy
Charlie McCoy Mickey Raphael Magic Dick Lee Oskar Wayne Raney Rice Miller Walter Horton John Popper
Jimmy Reed Sonny Terry Howard Levy Tommy Reilly Slim Harpo
This new, updated edition includes a new epilogue, an expanded discography of the
finest harmonica recordings, and a listing of the best harmonica resources on the Internet.
368 pages, 40 photographs on glossy paper
Published by Cooper Square Press
From reader reviews on Amazon.com:
"I've been writing about music for newspapers and magazines for 25 years, as a sidelight to my job as a journalist, and I'm in awe of the job Field has done with this book. It's exquisitely written and packed with entertaining information. The 20th century harmonica world was populated by all manner of rascals, hobos, eccentrics and maestros (often all wrapped up in the same person), and Field tells their stories in a clean, organised fashion that captures the magic while never resorting to sentiment or hyperbole. While it's very much a book for harmonica nuts, I've been reading plenty of laugh-out-loud sections to my partner, whose passion is more in the classical piano mold. Over the years I've collected a number of compilations of obscure harp players, but they're not obscure anymore. Having them expertly set in the context of their colourful lives has made the listening immensely more rewarding. Bless you, Kim, for putting in the research in the nick of time, before many of these people were dead and unable to speak for themselves. And bless you for your highly professional yet heartfelt approach."
"I found this to be a very enjoyable read and was disappointed when it was over. This should be recommended reading for anyone who plays or is a fan of the harmonica."
"Very inspirational to me and others who keep trying to swipe my copy. This is so well written and organized that I keep reading much of it over and over again. It is one of those books that you savior every word. It is very inexpensive for such a valuable, meaty, entertaining resource. Mr. Field, thank you for this tremendous read."
"Hats off to Kim Field! This is a great book and a much needed one. His excellent research is augmented with great writing. Every harp player in the land should own one."
"Mr. Field has written a book that no self-respecting harmonica should miss. It gives a comprehensive overview of the harmonica's rich and illustrious history. I learned more from a single reading about my instrument and it's players, than I did in the previous twenty years. Mr. Field should be applauded for a most outstanding effort."
"Generations of harmonica players waited for this superb book. Nothing like it existed until its first publication and now it has been republished (thank you Cooper Square). It is certain to become a classic. Field is a wonderful writer with a great eye for detail and a journalists instinct for interviewing his subjects. To some the harmonica hardly qualifies as a musical instrument, but to millions of others blowing into the pocket-sized "tin sandwich" is the breath of life. Field's book can leave no doubt that the harmonica is a serious instrument on which one can make great art. From the Grand Old Opry to Carnegie Hall, from Little Walter the pioneer of amplified blues harmonica to country great Charlie McCoy to classical concert musician John Sebastian (Sr.), Field covers them all with zest and style. Let us hope it stays in print for many years."
"'Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers' is a comprehensive, authoritative, well-written examination of the harmonica's role in musical culture. The author seems to have heard and understood the work of every major harmonica player of this century and many of the lesser-known ones, regardless of style or idiom. The book surprises us often simply by reminding us of the ubiquity of the instrument, as when the author points out that 3 of the Beatles's earliest hits featured harmonica prominently. The book is heavily illustrated with photos. It is likely to serve as the standard reference for its subject for years to come. Anyone who wants to learn about the traditions of harmonica music should have a copy."
"This intelligent, playful journey through the life of the harmonica is a joy. Mr. Field shows us, with great love and respect, the history of the instrument, and introduces us to the many who have mastered it and given it the lofty perch in the music world it so richly deserves. This book is a must for anyone even remotely interested in the harmonica, and those in that number are growing, world wide, every day."
"Rarely has any instrument been given the treatment Fields provides: A panoramic look at the history of the harmonica as well as the great players from all musical categories--classical to jazz to rock--who have helped make it famous. Fields detailed biographies of great harmoinca players like John Sebastian Sr., Larry Adler, Sonny Terry, Sonny Boy Williamson, Paul Butterfield and others are unmatched, and his wonderful overview of the great harmonica bands of the early twentieth century collects stories and history neverbefore recounted. Sought after by ever growing legions of harmonica players, this book is also a terrific read for anyone interested in American music in the twentieth century."
"Fields' (sic) book, in addition to being very well written and well researched, covers much more ground that its title might imply. Although this book DOES cover the history of the blues harmonica very comprehensively, it also explores other genres of music and the harmonica's role in them. Along the way, seemingly disparate musical styles are linked and the reader is made aware of a number of excellent musicians who have been somewhat marginalized or unfairly overlooked. By itself, this book is a rewarding reading experience. However, those readers who follow some of Fields' leads and actually listen to the music of some of the book's more obscure subjects will be further enriched."
"I keep my copy on my desk at all times, as it is an excellent reference 'bible' that I find invaluable when doing research. It is well-written, as both a historical record of facts, and is great reading for anyone who wants to settle down with "a good book" for an evening of entertaining reading. I am fortunate to have an autographed copy that I treasure, but am concerned that I will soon wear it out with use."
"Kim Field has written the definitive book for all harmonica enthusiasts. If you only have one book on harmonica, this should be the one."
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